The Secrets of the Kuznetsov Treasure: Photos from the "Family Values" Exhibition Published

      The exhibition is not limited to the demonstration of the treasure but tells the story of the fate of a merchant dynasty.

      Photo: Yulia Ivanova 25 jewelry pieces are presented in the exhibition "Family Values" (12+), which opened at the Rukavishnikov Estate in Nizhny Novgorod on June 11. The exhibits, located in two small rooms of the museum, reflect the history of the treasure of the merchant family Kuznetsovs. One of the houses of this well-known entrepreneurial dynasty was located on Malaya Pokrovskaya Street (now it houses the military medical service of the FSB of Russia in the Nizhny Novgorod region). It was in this house that a small box from a toilet soap was found, where the jewelry was hidden.

      The exhibition features bracelets, earrings, gold watch chains, a brooch-moon, rings with large diamonds and rubies, a gold chatelaine with a keychain and the initials of the house owner "FK" (Filitër Kuznetsov). Of particular value are the wedding rings of the mansion's owner and his wife, Valentina Vasilievna. Their inner side is engraved with names and the date of their wedding: February 7, 1900. Silver salt shakers wrapped in a newspaper from June 24, 1917, were also found.

      The exhibition will not be limited to the demonstration of the treasure—it narrates the fate of a dynasty whose members managed to amass millions in capital. A book titled "Kuznetsovs. The Saga of the Zhelin Millionaires" (12+) was also released for the opening of the exhibition, and a film of the same name (12+) was made.

      "The film was made in a short time," noted the Deputy Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod region, Oleg Berkovich. "It tells the incredible story of the Kuznetsov family. This is important to know in modern Russia." He thanked the security services for their assistance in implementing the project.

      "As a result, everything was done clearly and professionally. This is a significant contribution to the history of our region, opening new pages of it," Berkovich added.

      The director of the Nizhny Novgorod Museum-Reserve (NMR), Yuri Filippov, reminded that treasures come in different forms. Among them are very rare ones consisting entirely of precious metals and stones. Just such a treasure is in the former Kuznetsov mansion.

      "It also belongs to the category of revolutionary treasures," Filippov added. "People hid what they could not take with them into emigration. Interestingly, people lived in this house later, but none of them spoke of the treasure."

      The head of the museum noted that despite the written book, scientific work on studying the treasure and the history of the Kuznetsov dynasty continues.

      Tatiana Kuzmina, head of the history department of the Nizhny Novgorod Museum-Reserve, reminded that the museum's collection includes several similar treasures. Among them is the treasure of the princes Abamelek-Lazarev, discovered in a tenement house on Rozhdestvenskaya Street, 46, in 1918. An even more widely known treasure was found in the Kamensky mansion on the Upper Volga embankment in 1973. It includes almost 700 items of decorative and applied art made of porcelain, silver, as well as personal diaries and albums, which represent incredible value.

      "Old mansions undoubtedly hold many secrets," says Tatiana Kuzmina. "Many famous families lived in Nizhny Novgorod. Our task is to revive the memory of them. And items from treasures help to do this. These jewelry pieces represent great material value. Although for us, museum workers, any item is equally important because it is a piece of history that we have restored."

      One of the guests on the opening day of the exhibition was collector, patron, and entrepreneur Andrey Shcherbinin. According to him, the uniqueness of this contribution also lies in the fact that the family has effectively reunited here. It concerns the three Kuznetsov brothers who previously lived in Nizhny Novgorod.

      "Two brothers continued their father's business, while the third brother, who also seemed to be supposed to engage in business, decided to become an artist and went to France. The brothers helped him as much as they could; he lived, so to speak, on the money they sent him. However, in France, he became a famous artist, even being called the Russian Manet, the last Impressionist. As far as we know from the archives, the last time the brothers met was in 1913, and since then they had not seen each other. And now this amazing event has happened in Nizhny Novgorod, where they have effectively reunited. In one hall with the jewelry, there are also paintings by Konstantin Kuznetsov," Shcherbinin pointed out.

      The paintings of Konstantin Kuznetsov—the brother of Filitër, a talented artist—became an addition to the exhibition.

      "This is a unique story. About 10 years ago, we already came across paintings by Konstantin Kuznetsov. At that time, we didn't even know who this artist was. We started searching for information in the archives and found out who he was. Gradually, we began to restore his legacy and collected a large collection—more than four hundred works, which are now in the fund. I should add that this is purely a charitable, museum story, meaning we do not engage in selling paintings," concluded the collector.

      More news about the event:

      The secrets of the Kuznetsov treasure: photos from the exhibition "Family Values" have been published. The exhibition is not limited to the demonstration of the treasure but tells the story of the fate of a merchant dynasty. 21:32 11.06.2026 Time N - Nizhny Novgorod

      More than 100 years under the parquet: a treasure of merchants was shown in Nizhny Novgorod. 20:51 June 11 Nina Serebryakova Photo from the site niann.ru In Nizhny Novgorod, a unique find was presented—a treasure that lay under the parquet in the building of the FSB for over a century. 21:24 11.06.2026 ProGorodNN.Ru - Nizhny Novgorod

      The treasure found during restoration with jewelry was shown to the residents of Nizhny Novgorod: photos. A truly unique and luxurious exhibition titled "Family Values" (6+) opened at the Rukavishnikov Estate in Nizhny Novgorod. 20:33 11.06.2026 vGorodeN.Ru - Nizhny Novgorod

      More than 100 years under the parquet: a treasure of merchants was shown in Nizhny Novgorod. Photo: Maxim Gerasimov The exhibition project "Family Values" (6+) opened in the main building of the Nizhny Novgorod Museum-Reserve—the Rukavishnikov Estate. 20:15 11.06.2026 NIA Nizhny Novgorod - Nizhny Novgorod

      Gold, diamonds, and family secrets: the Kuznetsov treasure was shown in Nizhny Novgorod. The exhibition "Family Values" (6+) dedicated to the history and fate of the famous Nizhny Novgorod merchant dynasty Kuznetsovs opened at the Rukavishnikov Estate. 19:45 11.06.2026 NIA Nizhny Novgorod - Nizhny Novgorod

      News from neighboring regions on the topic:

      From Moscow with love: an exhibition of paintings from the collection of the Pushkin Museum will arrive in Irkutsk. The exhibition will include more than 30 paintings by world-famous artists. IrkutskMedia, June 11. 18:11 11.06.2026 IrkutskMedia.Ru - Irkutsk

      The Fabergé Museum is hosting an exhibition "Konstantin and Vladimir Makovsky. Earthly Love and Heavenly Love." The exhibition (6+) presents the legacy of two brothers from a famous creative dynasty. 12:03 11.06.2026 St. Petersburg Vedomosti - St. Petersburg

      A treasure of the Kuznetsov merchant family was found in Nizhny Novgorod. During restoration work in Nizhny Novgorod, a stash of jewelry was discovered that may have belonged to the Kuznetsov merchant family. 19:30 10.06.2026 IA Public News Service - Moscow

      Space has become closer! Our employees share impressions from Kaluga 🚀 A visit to Kaluga was a true immersion in the history of space exploration for the staff of the Belev Museum. 10:47 10.06.2026 Museum named after P. V. Zhukovsky - Belev